Too $hort Says He'll Be at Diddy's First Party After Prison Release

Too $hort says Diddy shouldn't be sitting behind bars ... and when Puff finally gets out, he's already got plans for the welcome-home bash.

The rap legend joined "The TMZ Podcast" and told Towanda he's not abandoning Diddy ... proudly declaring, "I'm going to the Puff Daddy coming home party."

Too $hort says the one thing he does judge Diddy for is the hotel surveillance video showing him kicking Cassie ... calling out Diddy's violent behavior while separating it from what he describes as Diddy's private sex life.

He says in all the years he's known Diddy, he was never around anything freaky beyond regular parties -- weed, music and people having a good time.

The "Blow The Whistle" rapper went even further, saying he doesn't think Diddy should be incarcerated for the conduct that ultimately landed him in prison ... and he believes the Cassie video played a huge role in how everything unfolded.

Diddy wasn't on trial for domestic violence ... and he was only convicted of a couple of charges related to prostitution. The jury found him not guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking.

As TMZ previously reported, Diddy's projected prison release date has been moved up to Jan. 21, 2028 ... so the coming home party isn't too far down the road.

And as for a comeback ... Too $hort thinks Diddy should move carefully once he's free. He pointed to Bill Cosby announcing a comedy tour after his release and said Diddy shouldn't make the same kind of splashy return.